Sanctification, a fundamental concept in Christian theology, refers to the process by which believers are set apart for God's purposes and transformed into the likeness of Christ. This transformative process is both instantaneous and progressive, involving the believer's cooperation with the Holy Spirit. Throughout the Bible, sanctification is richly illustrated through various types and symbols, providing a deeper understanding of its spiritual significance.

Old Testament Typology

1. The Tabernacle and Temple: The construction and consecration of the Tabernacle and later the Temple serve as profound types of sanctification. In Exodus 40:9-10, God commands Moses to anoint the Tabernacle and all its furnishings, setting them apart as holy. This act of consecration symbolizes the believer's sanctification, as they are anointed by the Holy Spirit and set apart for divine service. The Temple, as described in 1 Kings 8, further exemplifies this, being a dwelling place for God's presence, much like the believer's body is a temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19).

2. The Levitical Priesthood: The ordination of Aaron and his sons as priests in Leviticus 8-9 typifies sanctification. They were washed, clothed in holy garments, and anointed with oil, signifying their separation for God's service. This prefigures the believer's sanctification, as they are cleansed by the blood of Christ, clothed in His righteousness, and anointed by the Spirit for priestly service (1 Peter 2:9).

3. The Sacrificial System: The offerings and sacrifices prescribed in Leviticus illustrate sanctification through atonement and purification. The sin offering, in particular, highlights the removal of impurity and the restoration of holiness (Leviticus 4). These sacrifices point to Christ's ultimate sacrifice, which sanctifies believers once for all (Hebrews 10:10).

New Testament Typology

1. Baptism: Baptism serves as a New Testament type of sanctification. It symbolizes the believer's identification with Christ's death, burial, and resurrection, marking the beginning of a new life set apart for God (Romans 6:3-4). This outward act reflects the inward reality of sanctification, as the believer is cleansed and renewed by the Holy Spirit.

2. The Vine and the Branches: In John 15:1-8, Jesus uses the metaphor of the vine and the branches to illustrate sanctification. Believers, as branches, are pruned by the Father to bear more fruit, signifying the ongoing process of sanctification. This pruning represents the removal of sin and the cultivation of holiness, as believers abide in Christ and His word.

3. The Bride of Christ: The Church as the Bride of Christ is a powerful type of sanctification. Ephesians 5:25-27 describes how Christ loved the Church and gave Himself up for her, to sanctify her, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word. This imagery portrays the Church's sanctification as a preparation for her union with Christ, emphasizing purity and holiness.

Typological Significance

The typology of sanctification throughout Scripture underscores its divine origin and purpose. It reveals sanctification as a work of God, accomplished through Christ and applied by the Holy Spirit. These types not only illustrate the believer's positional sanctification but also the ongoing process of becoming more like Christ. As believers engage with these biblical types, they gain insight into the profound nature of sanctification and its vital role in the Christian life.Genesis 2:3
And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Exodus 13:2
Sanctify to me all the firstborn, whatever opens the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and of beast: it is mine.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Exodus 19:14
And Moses went down from the mount to the people, and sanctified the people; and they washed their clothes.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Exodus 40:9-15
And you shall take the anointing oil, and anoint the tabernacle, and all that is therein, and shall hallow it, and all the vessels thereof: and it shall be holy.
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Leviticus 27:14-16
And when a man shall sanctify his house to be holy to the LORD, then the priest shall estimate it, whether it be good or bad: as the priest shall estimate it, so shall it stand.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Entire Sanctification in Type.
... And this is entire sanctification. ... The holy priest, under the law typified the holy
priest, who is a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. ...
/.../clark/the theology of holiness/chapter iv entire sanctification in.htm

Entire Sanctification in Prophecy.
... or possibly the cleansing operation of the Holy Spirit, typified by water ... of
regeneration, if indeed not the still fuller experience of entire sanctification. ...
/.../clark/the theology of holiness/chapter v entire sanctification in.htm

Some Helpful Thoughts on Consecration
... This death consecration is beautifully typified in the consecration and
sanctification of the priests of the Old Testament dispensation. ...
/.../byers/sanctification/chapter xi some helpful thoughts.htm

Whether it is Fitting for the Holy Ghost to be Sent visibly?
... visibly as the author of sanctification; the Holy Ghost as the sign of sanctification. ...
the manner of an action was named Christ, Whom it typified; whereas the ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/aquinas/summa theologica/whether it is fitting for 2.htm

Ninth Day. Holiness and Mediation.
... Among the many points in which the high priest typified Christ as our sanctification,
there is, perhaps, none more suggestive or beautiful than the holy crown ...
/.../murray/holy in christ/ninth day holiness and mediation.htm

Whether Offering a Sacrifice to God is of the Law of Nature?
... being offered by Adam may be that, as the origin of sin is ascribed to him, the
origin of sanctification ought not to be represented as typified in him. ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether offering a sacrifice to.htm

The Blood of Sprinkling
... of the blood as having these effects, namely, that of preservation, satisfaction,
purification, sanctification, and access to God. This was all typified in the ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 32 1886/the blood of sprinkling.htm

V. ...
... of God. Through sanctification of the Spirit. God ... before God. And so God, by
this sprinkling, has typified the spiritual sprinkling. As ...
/.../the epistles of st peter and st jude preached and explained/chapter i v .htm

Fifth Sunday in Lent
... It was evident to men that their absolution and sanctification before the congregation ...
This ceremony typified that Christ, the true Priest, should once die for ...
//christianbookshelf.org/luther/epistle sermons vol ii/fifth sunday in lent.htm

The Communion of Gifts.
... It typified the communion of the spiritual goods which constituted the real ... all that
He had obtained for them, even justification and sanctification; all the ...
/.../kuyper/the work of the holy spirit/xxvii the communion of gifts.htm

What is sanctification? What is the definition of Christian sanctification? | GotQuestions.org

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Sanctification: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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